Week 16 Waiver Wire: Knile Davis, Matt Asiata Highlight Pickups to Know

The difference between a fantasy championship and utter disappointment may be one waiver-wire click away.

Owners are not stuck like, say, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lovie Smith cannot hit the wire and nab a starting quarterback, running back or, well, roster. Owners sure can, though.

Everything may be at stake this week or in the few weeks left on the calendar, but the wire remains the same—a minefield of busts and a few gems to seize that will make all of the difference.

For those still in the hunt, the following players are worthwhile additions to boost rosters.

Knile Davis, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (25.2 percent owned)

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Knile Davis is the definition of a handcuff, but Week 15 once again showed what he is capable of when given the opportunity. 

Davis wound up as the third-highest scorer before Sunday Night Football thanks to 20 points. He took nine carries for 11 yards and a score and turned his lone catch on two targets into a 70-yard touchdown.

As ESPN's Matthew Berry points out, Davis' outburst was a sour note for plenty of Jamaal Charles owners:

Charles suffered an injury in the contest and sat the rest of the way in an eventual win. This of course means Davis could go right back to irrelevance in the coming weeks, but more productive backs are hard to find on the wire.

Add Davis on the chance he gets more playing time. It seems that regardless of matchup, he will produce if given the chance, which is something the staff may put to good use soon.

Matt Asiata, RB, Minnesota Vikings (26.5 percent owned)

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Matt Asiata is the man in Minnesota, for better or worse.

Owners know Asiata as the guy who has posted a trio of rushing touchdowns in a single game twice this season. Week 15 was not as impressive, but a cool 14 points against a Detroit Lions defense that entered the weekend surrendering the third-fewest points to backs is quite a good haul.

Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News puts things into perspective well:

"

Matt Asiata had 4 more rushing yards in the first quarter than the Bears had against the Lions on Thanksgiving.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 14, 2014"

The staff in Minnesota continues to give Asiata more looks than veteran Ben Tate at this point, which is a golden opportunity for owners to scoop up some extra production.

Both of Asiata's next two opponents (Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears) rank in the middle of the pack against backs this year, but his ability to produce on the ground and through the air makes him a smart add.

Harry Douglas, WR, Atlanta Falcons (14.2 percent owned)

Few things are more reliable than Harry Douglas' fantasy production when one of Julio Jones or Roddy White is out of the lineup.

The third-string option on the depth chart for the Atlanta Falcons got a temporary promotion in Week 15 with Jones out due to injury. He made the most of it, using a game-high 14 targets to grab 10 passes for 131 yards.

While it's only the second time Douglas has reached double digits this year, both have come over the course of his past three games.

Not only is Douglas reliable—especially of late—he next faces the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. Those teams happened to rank among the 11 teams that allow the most points to wideouts on average entering last weekend.

Even if Jones does not miss more time, quarterback Matt Ryan continues to show a serious trust in Douglas. Owners still alive may want to do so, too.

Nate Washington, WR, Tennessee Titans (1.9 percent owned)

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A quarterback change can work wonders for wideouts, which would somewhat be the case for Tennessee's Nate Washington. 

While there is no true No. 1 on the Titans roster, the veteran Washington can certainly take things over when given the chance. He did just that in Week 15 against the New York Jets thanks to a team-high 10 targets.

Washington caught six of those targets for 102 yards, good for his third trip to double digits over the course of his last five games. As David Boclair of the Nashville Post points out, the quarterback change bodes well for Washington's outlook:

The cherry on top? Washington next gets the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars. As the man who might just be the top receiver in town for the next two weeks, the veteran is a player to own for those who need production at the position.

Owen Daniels, TE, Baltimore Ravens (17.9 percent owned)

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It has been a trying year for veteran tight end Owen Daniels, but a trip back to fantasy relevance seemed inevitable. 

Daniels had just two double-digit outings heading into this past weekend. A matchup with the Jaguars proved fruitful, though, as he caught four of a team-high nine targets for 62 yards and a score. Around The NFL put it best:

It would be a reach to suggest that Daniels is quarterback Joe Flacco's favorite target with Steve Smith still around, but there is clearly a great connection there when chains need moving and touchdowns need scoring.

At an unreliable position, an old face may be peaking at just the right time for owners in need.

Honorable Mentions

Player	Pos.	Team	Percent Owned
Robert Griffin	QB	WAS	10.4
Teddy Bridgewater	QB	MIN	6.5
Doug Martin	RB	TB	45.1
Kerwynn Williams	RB	ARI	28.4
Devin Hester	WR	ATL	2.4
James Jones	WR	OAK	36.6
Jerricho Cotchery	WR	NYJ	1.5
Dwayne Allen	TE	IND	44.9
Kyle Rudolph	TE	MIN	15.4

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of 1 a.m. ET on Dec. 15. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.